Abstract: A photovoltaic cell element includes a photovoltaic cell substrate configured to generate electrons upon reception of a light radiation, an outer boundary and an inner boundary delimiting the substrate. The element has no material outside the outer boundary and inside the inner boundary, and the substrate has a primer trench formed at least partially over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming a silicon ingot includes the following steps: providing a silicon ingot of variable electrical resistivity and containing interstitial oxygen, determining the interstitial oxygen concentration in different areas of the silicon ingot, calculating the concentration of thermal donors to be created in the different areas to reach a target value of the electrical resistivity, and subjecting the different areas of the silicon ingot to annealing so as to form the thermal donors. The annealing temperature in each area is determined from the thermal donor and interstitial oxygen concentrations of the area and from a predefined annealing time.

Abstract: A restoration device of at least one silicon-based photovoltaic solar cell is provided with a support of the cell and a charge carriers generator configured to generate charge carriers in the photovoltaic solar cell. The device is further provided with a tank designed to be filled by a liquid, and the support is configured to place the photovoltaic solar cell in the liquid.

Abstract: The restoration device of least one silicon-based photovoltaic solar cell includes a support of the cell, a heat source configured to heat the photovoltaic solar cell, and unit for generating charge carriers in the cell. To better accelerate the restoration kinetics of the solar cell, the device includes an ultrasonic transducer designed to generate ultrasonic waves propagating in the photovoltaic solar cell.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a wafer of thickness, including at least (i) providing a monolithic substrate made of p-doped silicon; (ii) forming crystal defects in predefined portions of at least one of the sides of the substrate; (iii) subjecting the subject to a thermal anneal; (iv) bringing all or some of one of the sides of the substrate into contact with hydrogen; (v) if necessary, promoting the diffusion of the hydrogen; and (vi) subjecting the substrate to a heat treatment.

Abstract: A method for determining the oxygen concentration of a sample made from p-type semiconductor material includes a thermal treatment step to form the thermal donors, a measuring step of the charge carrier concentration of the sample at a temperature between 0 K and 100 K, a step of determining the thermal donor concentration of the sample from the charge carrier concentration and the temperature of the sample, and a step of determining the interstitial oxygen concentration from the thermal donor concentration.

Abstract: A method for determining the interstitial oxygen concentration of a sample made from a p-doped semiconductor material includes a step of heat treatment of the sample in order to form thermal donors, determining the duration of the heat treatment required to obtain a compensated semiconductor material, determining the thermal donors concentration in the sample of compensated semiconductor material, from the charge carriers concentration, and determining the oxygen concentration from the thermal donors of and the duration of the heat treatment.

Abstract: A method for forming a silicon ingot includes the following steps: providing a silicon ingot of variable electrical resistivity and containing interstitial oxygen, determining the interstitial oxygen concentration in different areas of the silicon ingot, calculating the concentration of thermal donors to be created in the different areas to reach a target value of the electrical resistivity, and subjecting the different areas of the silicon ingot to annealing so as to form the thermal donors. The annealing temperature in each area is determined from the thermal donor and interstitial oxygen concentrations of the area and from a predefined annealing time.

Abstract: The restoration device of least one silicon-based photovoltaic solar cell includes a support of the cell, a heat source configured to heat the photovoltaic solar cell, and unit for generating charge carriers in the cell. To better accelerate the restoration kinetics of the solar cell, the device includes an ultrasonic transducer designed to generate ultrasonic waves propagating in the photovoltaic solar cell.

Abstract: A restoration device of at least one silicon-based photovoltaic solar cell is provided with a support of the cell and a charge carriers generator configured to generate charge carriers in the photovoltaic solar cell. The device is further provided with a tank designed to be filled by a liquid, and the support is configured to place the photovoltaic solar cell in the liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells against reduction in yield during the illumination of said photovoltaic cells. The invention also relates to a method for producing photovoltaic cells from the treated substrate. To said end, the invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells, said method including the following steps: a) providing a silicon substrate obtained from a metallurgically purified load, and b) annealing said substrate by heating the substrate to a temperature between 880° C. and 930° C. for a duration of between one and four hours, preferably at a temperature of 900° C., give or take 10° C., for two hours, give or take 10 minutes.

Abstract: A method for determining the oxygen concentration of a sample made from p-type semiconductor material includes a thermal treatment step to form the thermal donors, a measuring step of the charge carrier concentration of the sample at a temperature between 0 K and 100 K, a step of determining the thermal donor concentration of the sample from the charge carrier concentration and the temperature of the sample, and a step of determining the interstitial oxygen concentration from the thermal donor concentration.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention relate generally to furnaces, particularly to furnaces with combustors utilizing fuel and oxidizer jets, more particularly to furnaces used for glass production, and further to glass container production. In one embodiment, a furnace comprises first and second opposing walls, the first wall including a fuel nozzle having a fuel nozzle centerline extending toward the second wall, and an oxidizer nozzle having an oxidizer nozzle centerline extending toward the second wall and an oxidizer jet boundary. The first and second opposing walls are separated by a wall separation distance L. In this embodiment, the fuel nozzle centerline intersects the oxidizer jet boundary at a crossing distance xc, whereby xc is at least L/20 and at most L/2. In further embodiments, xc is at least L/9 and at most L/6.

Abstract: Method for determining dopant impurities concentrations in a silicon sample involves provision of a silicon ingot including donor type dopant impurities and acceptor type dopant impurities, a step for determining the position of a first area of the ingot in which a transition takes place between a first conductivity and a second opposite conductivity types, by subjecting ingot portions to chemical treatment based on hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid and acetic acid, enabling defects to be revealed on one of the portions corresponding to the transition between the first conductivity and the second conductivity types, a step of measuring the concentration of free charge carriers in a second area of the ingot, different from the first area, and a step for determining concentrations of dopant impurities in the sample from the position of the first area and the concentration of free charge carriers in the second area of the ingot.

Abstract: The method for determining the concentrations of dopant impurities in a silicon sample includes provision of a silicon ingot including donor-type dopant impurities and acceptor-type dopant impurities, a step for determining the position of a first area of the ingot in which a transition takes place between a first conductivity type and a second opposite conductivity type, a step for measuring the concentration of free charge carriers in the second area of the ingot, distinct from the first area, by Hall effect, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy or a method using the lifetime of the charge carriers, and a step for determining the concentrations of dopant impurities in the sample from the position of the first area and the concentration of free charge carriers in the second area of the ingot.

Abstract: A method for determining the interstitial oxygen concentration of a sample made from a p-doped semiconductor material includes a step of heat treatment of the sample in order to form thermal donors, determining the duration of the heat treatment required to obtain a compensated semiconductor material, determining the thermal donors concentration in the sample of compensated semiconductor material, from the charge carriers concentration, and determining the oxygen concentration from the thermal donors of and the duration of the heat treatment.

Abstract: A method for determining the oxygen concentration of a sample made of a semiconductor material includes a heat treatment step of the sample to form thermal donors, the measurement of the resistivity in an area of the sample, the determination of the thermal donor concentration from a relation expressing the charge carrier mobility according to an ionized dopant impurity concentration, by adding to the dopant impurity concentration four times the thermal donor concentration, and from the measured resistivity value. The method finally includes determining the oxygen concentration from the thermal donor concentration.

Abstract: A method for determining the oxygen concentration of a sample made of a semiconductor material includes a heat treatment step of the sample to form thermal donors, the measurement of the resistivity in an area of the sample, the determination of the thermal donor concentration from a relation expressing the charge carrier mobility according to an ionized dopant impurity concentration, by adding to the dopant impurity concentration four times the thermal donor concentration, and from the measured resistivity value. The method finally includes determining the oxygen concentration from the thermal donor concentration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells against reduction in yield during the illumination of said photovoltaic cells. The invention also relates to a method for producing photovoltaic cells from the treated substrate. To said end, the invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells, said method including the following steps: a) providing a silicon substrate obtained from a metallurgically purified load, and b) annealing said substrate by heating the substrate to a temperature between 880° C. and 930° C. for a duration of between one and four hours, preferably at a temperature of 900° C., give or take 10° C., for two hours, give or take 10 minutes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of purifying a crystalline silicon substrate and to a process for producing a photovoltaic cell. The method of purifying a crystalline silicon substrate according to the invention is of the type that includes a step of extracting impurities by external gettering and which includes, before said step of extracting the impurities by external gettering, at least one step of rapidly annealing the substrate at a temperature of between 750° C. and 1000° C. inclusive for a time of between 1 second and 10 minutes inclusive. The invention is particularly applicable in the photovoltaic cell field.